Hailey Potter: Summer Adventures (harry potter x marvel)

37//the whole truth

Hailey's rational brain just caught up to what she said and Natasha's stunned expression. She looked around, they were all stunned. She wished right this instant she could take back what she said but she couldn't so she upstairs to her room.

She could not stay here anymore, even if they let her, in good conscience, she couldn't.

She began packing, aggressively stuffing her trunk with everything she had at the compound. She then remembered her little can of floor powder was buried amongst the mess her trunk had become so she pulled everything out, throwing her clothes everywhere.

Plonk.

She looked back to see that all of the powder had spilled over her robes and the can was rolling away toward the door spilling away any last bit.

It stopped when it hit someone's shoe.

Hailey looked up to Steve, he looked sad. His features ever so slightly changed but she knew he looked sad.

Hailey sat down on the floor in between the mess she had created, ready to give up on all of this. Steve picked up the can and came to take a seat right beside her.

"Are you feeling okay?" he asked with genuine concern. Hailey had not expected that question. After the stunt she had pulled, everyone should go comfort Natasha.

Hailey said nothing in response.

"Were you packing?" he asked looking around, his tone gentle and kind.

Once again, she didn't say anything.

"I just came up here to tell you that, you said nothing wrong," he said once again. Hailey searched his face for any sarcasm but it wasn't there.

"You're 100% right. Natasha is a Red Room affiliate. In fact, she is the exact one you found out about with Agent 19's watch," Steve said. "But don't you want to know in what circumstances?"

Hailey didn't reply but listened intently.

"She was about 4 when she joined the Red Room for the first time. They didn't have pheromonal locks like they do now, it was all plain brainwashing and beating them into submission. Then, she was sent on an undercover mission, where she had to play the part of the oldest child in a family. Yelena didn't know what was actually going on but she did. Then, once the mission was over, she was sent right back to the Red Room to continue training. She tried running away four times but failed and eventually just gave up and accepted her fate," he explained.

Hailey should have thought about limiting factors that aren't plainly physical. Sometimes, some situations can not be left behind.

"Natasha wants you to never find out about this but I think you should know. You're old enough to understand. After her training, they have a graduation ceremony where they remove her reproductive organs so she can never have a child," Steve said and then offered her a small smile.

"That is why she is so fiercely overprotective of you. We both are because you are our only child," Steve said.

Hailey was still processing everything and said nothing in response.

"I know this doesn't mean that she is right and you are wrong in what you want but do you think that it is fair to judge someone based on their worst mistake? We all make mistakes all the time whether that is Clint or Natasha or you and me, a good person is one who learns from those mistakes and works hard to correct them. I'll leave this with you," Steve said and gave her hand a tight squeeze before getting up to leave.

"We never want you to leave no matter what. We love you too much for that," he said. "The choice is always in your hands though" and left.

She sat there with all of what Steve said. What she had said downstairs was just in the heat of the moment, she knew Natasha wasn't the same person anymore. She had only been mad because of the lying when Hailey was trying so hard to be truthful.